Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for liver tumors.

BACKGROUND: The surgical treatment for liver tumors, whether metastatic or hepatic in origin, traditionally used the open approach through large incisions. In recent years the laparoscopic approach became popular but few centers use this method routinely. OBJECTIVES: To assess the results of our initial experience with liver resection using the laparoscopic approach, in terms of patient safety and oncologic surgical outcome. METHODS: Between August 2007 and April 2008 we performed 10 liver resections in 9 patients using the hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery technique. RESULTS: The main indication for surgery was metastatic colorectal carcinoma in seven patients and hepatocellular carcinoma in two. The mean age was 67 +/- 11 years. The tumor was solitary in seven patients. Five patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Altogether, 12 lesions with an average size of 17 +/- 9 mm were resected. The mean operative time was 180 +/- 52 minutes. Average postoperative stay was 6.5 +/- 3.5 days. There was no perioperative mortality. There was one conversion to open surgery due to bleeding from the left hepatic vein. No major perioperative complications were encountered. All resected margins were free of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Liver resection using HALS is safe and feasible and should be considered in selected patients.

Laparoscopic removal of an intrauterine device following colon perforation.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine device (IUD) migration and colon perforation is a rare but serious complication occurring sometimes years after insertion. Laparoscopic removal of a colon-perforating device is a seldom-used approach. CASE: A 35-year-old presented with right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain one year following intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. Upon vaginal examination, no IUD string was detected. An abdominal X-ray depicted the IUD in a position below the hepatic flexure. Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) scan suggested an IUD-like foreign object posterior and medial to the hepatic flexure. Colon perforation by an intrauterine device was diagnosed, the device was identified and removed, and the intestinal damage was repaired with a laparoscopic approach. CONCLUSION: Clinical diagnosis and surgical removal of a perforating intrauterine device reduces the possible risks of abdominal complications this condition presents. In select cases, the laparoscopic approach for intrauterine device removal may be a simple and safe approach, thus minimizing possible postoperative complications.

[Urgent splenectomy after traumatic colonoscopy].

Traumatic rupture of the spleen during the performance of a colonoscopy is a very rare complication. The more common complications after such procedures, diagnostic or therapeutic, include bleeding from and perforation of the bowel at the resected or biopsy site. However, the rate of these complications merely reaches one percent. In this case report the authors present and discuss the condition of a patient who underwent an urgent operation due to rupture of the spleen during a colonoscopy.

Primary schwannoma of the thyroid gland presenting as an asymptomatic cold nodule.

Schwannomas are benign neoplasms that may arise from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath all over the body. Although schwannomas of the head and neck region are common, the thyroid gland is a rare site for schwannomas, with little documentation in the literature. Presented is a case of a 57-year-old woman who was evaluated in our outpatient clinic for hypothyroidism because of Hashimoto thyroiditis. Thyroid ultrasound revealed a single prominent nodule, which was cold on technetium Tc 99m thyroid scan. Fine needle aspiration of the nodule had aroused suspicion for malignant thyroid neoplasm. Complete thyroidectomy was undertaken without complications. Microscopic examination and immunohistochemical stains supported the diagnosis of a primary thyroid schwannoma.

Activated status of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and apoptosis in testicular seminoma.

Testicular seminoma is characterized by a prominent lymphoid infiltrate and an excellent prognosis. Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) infiltrating seminoma tumour nests constitute a major subset of the lymphoid infiltrate. The objective of this study was to determine whether CTLs express markers of cytotoxic potential and activity and whether the number of activated CTLs correlates with the extent of apoptosis in testicular seminomas, as opposed to non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours (NSTGCTs). Twenty cases of pure seminoma as well as 20 cases of NSTGCTs including 16 mixed germ cell tumours (MGCTs) were studied. Immunohistochemistry for the cytotoxic markers TIA-1 (cytotoxic potential) and granzyme B (cytotoxic activity) and the T-cell markers CD3 and CD8 was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. The apoptotic index (AI) was determined by the TUNEL method. The number of CD3(+), CD8(+), TIA-1(+), and granzyme B(+) cells in tumour cell nests was markedly increased in testicular seminomas, compared with NSTGCTs (p<0.01). Activated granzyme B(+) cells numbered 25.6+/-5.2 per high power field in seminomas and 8.9+/-3.2, 8.1+/-3.9, and 0.4+/-0.2 for embryonal carcinomas, yolk sac tumours, and immature teratomas, respectively. Double immunohistochemical staining for granzyme B and CD8 revealed that 82.6+/-8.5% of granzyme B-expressing cells were CD8(+). The tumour cell AI was significantly increased in embryonal carcinoma, compared with the seminoma, yolk sac tumour, and immature teratoma subgroups (6.7+/-1.3, 2.3+/-0.3, 3.0+/-1.1, and 2.3+/-1.1, respectively, p<0.001). TUNEL/CD3 double immunostaining revealed that a significant proportion of the apoptotic seminomatous tumour cells were in direct contact with one or more CD3(+) lymphocytes (47.2+/-6.2%). The number of activated granzyme B(+) CTLs showed a strong linear correlation with the AI in the seminoma group (r=0.71, p<0.0001) but not in other subgroups. TUNEL/granzyme B double immunolabelling revealed that a proportion of activated granzyme B(+) lymphocytes (20%) were often seen in close contact with apoptotic tumour cells. The presence of increased numbers of activated cytotoxic lymphocytes in testicular seminomas suggests that apoptotic tumour cell death in this neoplasm may be triggered by cytotoxic granule effectors. This phenomenon may be one of the key host immune mechanisms leading to the excellent prognosis in this tumour.